Stiffener for collars



July 31, .1934. c. FREDERICK STIFFENER FOR GOLLARS Filed March 28, 1952 of the well known Patented July 31, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to a stiffener or forming element for collars. An object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensively constructed and readily applied element adapted to be used in pairs, one for the front portion of each side of a collar for stiffening and holding the same against undesirable deformation.

1 The invention isespecially, but not exclusive- 1y, adapted for use in connection with collars soft type, whether attached to or detached from a shirt. Such collars are commonly laundered with little or no starch, j and hence tend, after a very short period of use, to curl, pucker, and become generally deformed 1 and unsightly. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel element adapted to be associated with the front portion of each side of such acollar to hold the collar in accurately and securely formed condition.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of an element of the type indicated which is adapted to be completely concealed from View when associated in use with a collar, which may be manufactured quickly and inexpensively, which may be readily associated with a collar and adjusted to operative position, which may be quickly and easily detached from the collar when the collar is to be laundered, which is adapted, when properly adjusted in operative position, to hold the collar material under tension between the ends of the stiffening element, and whichwill in general possess certain desirable'and novel advantages over the best prior art devices as hereinafter more fully explained. A preferred e'mbodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawing which forms part of this application for'Letters Patent and in which, Figure l-isa side elevational view of one of the pair ofstiffening elements contemplated by the 'invention; p I. Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the inside surface of a collar, showing a stiffening element insertedandready to be adjusted; and Y Fig3 is-a'similar View of a collarshowing the s'tiifning' element in finally adiusted position. Referring now to the-drawing, the reference numeral 1 designatesgenerally a collarof any usual form and construction having a plurality of plies. The numeral 2 indicates the inside surface ply i. e., the ply which, whenthe collar is The ply 2 is connected to a companion outer ply along the upper edge 3 of the collar which is contiguous with the neck band, and along the front edge 4, and the lower edge 5. These several edges may include lines of stitching connecting the several plies together, or they may consist of a fold disposed in an integral web or fabric forming both plies.

The collar which has been described is of common and well known construction, and requires only to be perforated, as hereinafter explained, to function in combination with the stiifener contemplated by the present invention. The structure of the collar may be varied, and its design may differ Widely from that shown by way of illustration in the drawing. The subject matter of the present invention is the stiffening element adapted to be associated with the collar, and the combination of the stiffening element and the collar.

The stiffening element is formed of any suitable material which is relatively thin and consequently inconspicuous, and which is'comparatively resilient for a purpose hereinafter explained.

I have found that steel wire of the type commonly used in pianos is excellent for the purpose, but it will be understood of course that the stiffening element may be formed of any ma- 30 terial possessing the requisite physical properties. Hence while the word wire will be used in this specification to designate the material of the stiffening element, it is to be understood that this term includes all equivalents, and is 35 not intended to limit the material of the stiffening element to wire properly so called.

The wire of the stiffening element includes a portion 6 which may conveniently terminate in a free end 7 which isbeaded or turned back on itself. Extending angularly from the opposite end of the front portion 6 is a lower portion8 of the stiffening element. The angle, or are, at

the juncture of the portions 6 and 8 preferably conforms to and depends upon the design ofthe juncture of the front edge 4and the lower edge 5 of the collar with which the stiffener is to be used. I

At the rear end of the lower portion 8 the material of the stiffener is turned back upon itself a relatively slight distance to form a short and substantially forwardly extending portion 9. The

portion 9 terminates in a shortlength 10 normally extending in approximate parallelism with the front portion 6, and this portion 10 is provided with means for engaging a ply of the collar. wrn is disposed nearest the neck of the wearer.

substantially U-shaped hook 11, one leg of which 7 is integral with the length 10 of the stiffening element and the other leg of which terminates in a sharply pointed end 12. The hook 11 may have its two legs substantially parallel with the general direction of the lower portion 8 of the stiffener, and a small web 13 of thin metal or the like may occupy the angular space between the hook and the length and be held in place by having two of its margins crimped around the length 10 and one leg of the hook 11.

Portionsdand f the stiffener are preferably bowed normally inwardly to a slight extent, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when used with-collarsthe front and lower edges of which are straight lines or approximately straight lines. It will be understood that the precise contour of therpcrtionsgfi and 8 will vary according to the design of the collar with which the stiffener-isto be use'dpbut in general these portions should normally .be bowed slightly inwardly for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The inner ply 2 of the collar is provided with a perforation 14 positioned above the lower edge 5 of the collar a distance somewhat greater than the distance between the juncture of portions 9 and 10 of the stiffener and the opposite point on portion 8 of the stiffener. The perforation 14 is spaced from the point of the collar, i. e., the juncture of front edge 4 and lower edge 5, a distance substantially equal to the distance between theangle formed by portions 9 and 10 of the stiffener and that formed by the portions 6 and 8 of the stiffener.

The stiffener is mounted for use by inserting end '7 through perforation 14 of the collar and passing portions 6, .8 and 9 of the stiffener into the space between the two plies of the collar, to assume the position shown in Fig. 2. Web 13 and the parts 10 and 11 of the stiffener to which it is connected thus become the sole parts of the device not contained between the two plies of the collar. Web 13 is then pulled forwardly, against the resilience of the stiffener material, until the bow or slightcurvature of the portions 6 ,and 8 is substantially straightened into conformity withedges 4 and 5 respectivelyof the collar. Web 13 is then pulled slightly more forwardly, ,point 12 is pierced through ply .2 of the collar and pushed .back by the resilience of the stiffener material to seat hook 11 in ply 2, with the legs of the hook on opposite sides of the ply. The resilience of the material then functions to hold the material of the .collar under tension between the juncture of its edges 4 and 5 and the point on the ply 2 where the hook 11 enters the .collar.

If the angle between the stiffener portions 6 and 8 .be made somewhat greater than that between the .collar edges 4 and 5, the intervening material ,of the collar will also be placed under tension. It is desirable to make portion ,6 of the stiffener somewhat shorter than the front .'edge 4 of the collar, in order to provide an upper length of the front edge 4 which is devoid ,of stiffening means. This upper length ,is thus enabled to bend snugly over and conform to the contour .of the tie knot.

It will .beunderstood that the. stiffenerv shown in the drawing is one used with the right hand side of a collar, and that a companion .element is used with the left hand side of the collar.

It will be evident that I have provided stiffening means having the novel features pointed out in the appendedclaims and effective in achieving the several objects of the invention pointed out hereinabove, it will be understood also that the invention is shown and described in one preferred form of embodiment only for purposes of exemplification. The invention is capable of embodiment in other and further modified forms, and all such modifications, to the extent that they embody the principles of the invention pointed out in the appended claims, are to be deemed within the scope and purview thereof.

I claim:

1. In combination with a collar having a plurality of plies united along its front and bottom edges and a perforation in one ply, a stiffener comprising a relatively resilient element formed to include two portions positioned between the plies ofthecollar and engaging respectively the front and bottom edges thereof, and a third portion extending out of the collar through the perforation and having an end provided with means connected to the collar.

2. In combination with a collar having a plurality of plies united along its front and bottom edges and a perforation in one ply, a stiffener comprisinga relatively resilient element formed to include two portions positioned between the plies of the collar and engaging respectively the front and bottom edges thereof, and a thirdportion extending out of the collar through the perforation and having'an endprovided with means connected to the collar and holding the material of the collar under tension between said .connectionandsaid frontedge.

3. In combination with a collar having a plurality of plies united along its front and bottom edges and a perforation in one ply, .a stiffener comprising a relatively resilient element formed to include two portions positioned between the plies of the collar and engaging respectively the front and bottom edges thereof,.and .a third portion extending out of the collar through the perforation and having an end provided with a point piercing a ply of the collar and heldsecured thereto by the resilience of the material of the element.

4. In combination-with a collar having a plurality of plies united along its front and bottom edges and a perforation in one ply, a stiffener comprising a relatively resilient element formed to include two portions positioned between the plies of the collar and engaging respectively the front and bottom edges thereof, and a third portion extending out of the collar through the perforation and having an end provided with a rearwardly facing U-shaped portion provided with a pointed end piercing a ply of the collar and held secured thereto by the resilience of the material of the element.

5. A stiffener for collars comprising a relatively resilient element formed to include a front :portion terminating in a free end and a lower portion, the lower portion being bent forwardly upon itself and provided with pointed :means adapted to penetrate and engage the collar material. 1 I p 6. A stiffener for collars comprising a relatively resilient element formed to include a front portion terminating in a free end and a lower portion, the 'rear end of the lower portion being directed forwardly toward the front portion and terminating in a hook having a point for penetrating and engaging the collar material.

'7. A stiffener for collars comprising a relatively resilient element formed to include a front portion terminating in a free end and a lower portion, the rear end of the lower portion extending forwardly toward the front portion,

9. A stiffener for collars comprising a relatively resilient element formed to include angularly disposed inwardly bowed front and lower portions, the rear end of the lower portion being extended forwardly toward the front portion, and said extension including an angular portion adaptedto penetrate the collar and terminating in means for engaging the collar.

CHARLES FREDERICK. 

